Daytime.
In Konoha, within the Sarutobi clan grounds.
Today, Sarutobi Hiruzen finished his work early, just to wait for him here.
Kaze didn't seem surprised by his appearance.
"Uncle," he called out softly.
He didn't address him as Hokage, but used their blood relation.
This was to remind Sarutobi Hiruzen that he had always been a member of the Sarutobi clan, Hiruzen's own nephew, and would not do anything detrimental to Konoha or the Hokage.
Indeed.
Hearing Kaze's address, a complex look flashed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.
He sighed softly.
Ultimately.
Ultimately, he was still a member of his clan, the future of their Sarutobi clan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could see that although his eldest son worked hard, his innate talent was insufficient; becoming an elite jonin might already be his limit.
His second son, Sarutobi Asuma, had quite good talent, but unfortunately, he was naturally rebellious and not a very hardworking person.
Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already given up, planning to hand over the Sarutobi clan to his eldest son after his death. Konoha, remembering his contributions, would likely prevent the Sarutobi clan from declining.
But now, Kaze's appearance gave him hope that the Sarutobi clan could continue to prosper.
He puffed on his pipe, letting the tobacco burn, the nicotine stimulating his lungs, and wisps of white smoke drifted away.
After a long silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly opened his mouth and said, "Nichikan, do you want to be Hokage?"
So direct?
Kaze was immediately stunned.
He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in surprise, but couldn't discern anything from his face.
After thinking carefully, he nodded and slowly said, "Hokage? Of course, I want to. That's probably the greatest wish of every Konoha ninja."
Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could speak, Kaze continued, "But wanting it doesn't mean I'm willing to do it."
"Oh?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"Why?"
Kaze rubbed his ankle, dragging his leg into a more comfortable position.
"I'm not afraid to tell you, Uncle, the position of Hokage carries too much. The entire village is shouldered by the Hokage. If you do well, it's taken for granted; if you don't, you become a sinner of Konoha. The pressure is too great."
Kaze's words spoke directly to Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.
Wasn't he the same?
Back then, the Second Hokage, his teacher Senju Tobirama, led them to the Cloud Village to sign an alliance, but on the way back, they were ambushed and pursued by the Gold and Silver Brothers of the Cloud Village, ultimately leading to Senju Tobirama's death.
A lighthearted statement from the Cloud ninjas, that the Gold and Silver Brothers were not controlled by the Cloud Village, and they no longer needed to take responsibility.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had just taken the Hokage position and was not yet stable, had to rely on Danzo's power. Together, they defended Konoha and, through diligent development, stabilized Konoha's position as the number one hidden village in the ninja world.
And then continued to develop, experiencing the Second Shinobi World War, and now facing the Third Shinobi World War.
Heaven knows how much pressure he, as Hokage, had endured.
It was precisely because of this pressure that he became timid and hesitant in the later stages, afraid that Konoha would fall into his hands.
"Moreover," Kaze added, "I know I'm not Hokage material. I can fight, but managing a village requires too much energy."
Someone like Jiraiya?
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind flashed with Jiraiya's figure.
He had asked Jiraiya the same question, and Jiraiya's answer was almost exactly the same as Kaze's: wanting to become Hokage, but not willing to become Hokage, preferring the days of freely gathering material, but if Konoha needed him, he would not hesitate.
"Then, Kaze, who do you think is suitable to become Hokage?"
Since they had already talked about this, Sarutobi Hiruzen was prepared to completely lay his cards on the table with Kaze today.
"Hokage..." Kaze rubbed his chin.
"In the village, Lord Orochimaru has the highest support, and with Orochimaru's abilities, he is more than capable of taking on the position and responsibility of Hokage."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, not surprised by his answer. After all, in the eyes of most Konoha ninjas, Orochimaru was an excellent candidate for Hokage, both in terms of strength and ability.
Before, it was Hatake Sakumo.
It's just that Hatake Sakumo is already dead.
"Anyone else?" Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke, squinting his eyes as he continued to ask.
"Anyone else..." Kaze pondered slightly, "If there is, I think Namikaze Minato is also a very good candidate."
"Oh?" Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, his hand pausing, "Tell me about it."
"I participated in two wars with Minato. His strength, ability, and character are all beyond doubt, and isn't the village's praise for him also very high?" Kaze said truthfully.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Kaze's face for a long time, not seeing anything unusual.
"Then what do you think of Danzo?"
"Elder Danzo?" Kaze put on a somewhat exaggerated expression, "I'm not very clear about Elder Danzo, after all, I don't have much contact with him. I suppose his ability and strength are not weak, but there is one thing..."
"What?"
"Elder Danzo's age should be about the same as yours, Uncle? If you choose Elder Danzo, why don't you continue yourself..."
Saying this, there was no need to continue.
"Then who do you think is the most suitable candidate in your heart?" Sarutobi Hiruzen remained unmoved.
Kaze pursed his lips and said solemnly, "Minato."
The answer given, the two fell into silence again.
